Manager of Interpretation

The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art is one of the largest museums of modern and contemporary art in the United States and a thriving cultural center for the Bay Area. We cannot imagine life without art; it inspires and connects us every day. Now more than ever, these connections matter and are aligned with our values.

Inclusive: We strive to be a museum of many voices in dialogue.

Passionate: We believe working with art is more than a job or trusteeship - it's a way of life.

Brave: We are committed to approaching our work with courage and a sense of adventure.

Empathic: We aim to act like a person, not an institution.

SFMOMA is a place for the infinitely curious to explore, support, and experience the art of our time. We believe that modern and contemporary art can influence the way we think, view the world, and embrace the many voices and perspectives around us. We aspire to foster an environment that elicits joy, nurtures a sense of belonging and purpose—where difference is seen as a strength, and every one is appreciated for their whole self.

Schedule: Full Time, 35 hours/week, approximately 3 days working onsite

SFMOMA is seeking a Manager of Interpretation to help oversee the development, implementation, and evaluation of gallery interpretation. Reporting to the Director of Interpretive Media, the Manager of Interpretation oversees strategy and ideation, research, testing, implementation, evaluation, and iteration of interpretive resources for SFMOMA visitors. The Manager of Interpretation provides detailed project management for a museum-wide Interpretation planning process, and shepherds Interpretation resources from concept through completion.

The successful candidate will collaborate with colleagues within the Education and Community Engagement Division, across the Museum, and within the Bay Area community. They will work with artists, curators, conservators, librarians, archivists, and educators to identify and create content; marketing, designers, visitor services, and development colleagues to integrate interpretive content into other audience-facing content strategies (website, social media, way-finding tools) . They will identify, hire, and manage outside consultants and/or contractors, as required, to support interpretive projects. The Manager of Interpretation will also be responsible for reviewing exhibition texts to ensure SFMOMA standards and desired visitor outcomes are being met.

In the first year of work in this position, key milestones will be:

• By 30 days: establish understanding of key Interpretive Media projects, roles, and procedures and contribute to projects as assigned; begin developing departmental, cross-departmental, and cross-divisional relationships necessary for collaborative work
• By the first quarter: contribute to an increased number, scale, and variety of projects while continuing to develop collaborative working approach. Assume point on Interpretative planning
• By one year: work independently and problem-solve proactively on multiple simultaneous projects; contribute to refining departmental and cross-departmental workflows; and deepen key professional collaborations
  
  
  

Responsibilities & Duties

• Work with the Director of Interpretive Media in developing and implementing interpretive initiatives in a broad range of media and formats.
• Administer the Institution-wide Interpretive Planning Process, and the development of interpretive resources such as audio, video, text, graphics and ephemera displays, games, interactives, and learning environments.
• Review exhibition texts to ensure SFMOMA standards and desired visitor outcomes are being met.
• Provide detailed project management, coordinating logistics with museum-wide stakeholders, and external vendors to ensure Interpretation planning and production are organized and on schedule.
• Manage assigned Interpretation projects in digital co-working spaces such as Asana and Sharepoint, to allow for cross-departmental collaboration and internal project planning.
• Develop and administer work schedules, timelines, and other resources to ensure that projects meet milestones and desired outcomes.
• Prepare and oversee project budgets and coordinate program contracts, statistics, proposals, and documentation.
• Work proactively to anticipate project team needs and flag potential conflicts.
• Conduct feasibility research on current and next-generation interpretive strategies, environments, technologies and modalities.
• Co-organize testing and evaluation activities. Work with outside consultants towards this end as necessary, as well as evaluation volunteers and interns. Provide support for training internal and external evaluation teams and deploying evaluations.
• Develop and maintain professional contacts with outside colleagues and collaborators, including community members, production partners, staff in comparable roles at other museums, and practitioners across the diverse field of museum interpretation.
• Support accessibility in all interpretive projects, working with the Interpretive Media team and colleagues across the Museum to prototype, create, test, and implement standards and products that improve visitor access at the Museum.
• Attend conferences and professional meetings and conduct independent research to keep informed about new practices in museum interpretation, multimedia production and publishing.
• Demonstrate a deep commitment to inclusion, diversity, equity, and access, both within and with the communities of diverse cultures, backgrounds, and gender identities served.
• Perform other related duties as required.
  
  
  

Qualifications & Skills

• BA in education, art history, journalism, design, museum studies, a related field, or equivalent experience.
• Minimum 3-5 years' experience in Museum Interpretation required.
• Strong grounding in 20th and 21st Century art and intellectual/cultural history is essential.
• Broad skill set and background including but not limited to museum education, editorial or journalism work, graphic design, exhibit design, digital media and creative technology
• Strong knowledge of visitor engagement theory and practice including current research on emerging technology and storytelling in museum and exhibition environments.
• Robust organizational skills, ability to meet deadlines and strict attention to detail.
• Excellent writing, editing, and verbal communication skills.
• Strong research, computer, and multimedia skills.
• Ability to deal effectively and tactfully with artists and their representatives, writers, designers, producers, and all levels museum staff.
• Independent thinking and problem-solving, while being a hands-on team player.
• Experience managing people, including direct reports, volunteers, and outside vendors and consultants.
• Familiarity with Microsoft Office Suite, and with task management tools such as Asana.
• Technical aptitude, and the ability to skill up quickly on new tools and software.
  
  
  

Working Conditions

• Must be able to do extended periods of work at a computer.
• Required to talk, hear, and review materials visually as well as audially.
• May be asked to assist with equipment, which includes lifting up to 25 lbs.
  
  
  

Job posting open date: 6/17/24

Job posting closing date: 7/19/24

All jobs posted will remain open for at least five business days.

We encourage both internal and external candidates to apply within the initial open posting period as the application close date may or may not be extended beyond that initial period. Applications will not be accepted after a posting has been closed.

Location: San Francisco, 151 3rd Street.

Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

SFMOMA is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility. No person shall be discriminated against based on race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, age, genetic information, ancestry/national origin, marital status, disability, medical condition, HIV status, sexual orientation, veteran/military status, and any other category protected by federal of state law.

You may request reasonable accommodation if you are unable to or are limited in your ability to access job postings or provide additional information asked in the job posting.

You can request reasonable accommodation by contacting the People Team at [email protected].